Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

विधाय पारणं पश्चात्पुत्रभृत्यसमन्वितैः । सम्यग्वाराणसीवासफलं लभ्येत कुंभज

Transliteration

vidhāya pāraṇaṃ paścātputrabhṛtyasamanvitaiḥ | samyagvārāṇasīvāsaphalaṃ labhyeta kuṃbhaja

Translation

तदनंतर पुत्रों और सेवकों सहित विधिपूर्वक पारण करके, हे कुम्भज (अगस्त्य)! मनुष्य वाराणसी-वास का पूर्ण फल निश्चय ही प्राप्त करता है।

Word by Word

• विधाय: having performed
• विधाय: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + धा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययभाव

• पारणम्: breaking the fast (pāraṇa)
• पारणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• पश्चात्: afterwards
• पश्चात्: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चात् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb: afterwards)

• पुत्रभृत्यसमन्वितैः: together with sons and servants
• पुत्रभृत्यसमन्वितैः: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सहकारि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुत्र + भृत्य + समन्वित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्व (पुत्र-भृत्य) + क्त-प्रत्ययान्त ‘समन्वित’ (endowed/ accompanied); विशेषण (to implied agents)

• सम्यक्: properly, completely
• सम्यक्: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक् (अव्यय)
• Form: रीतिवाचक अव्यय (adverb: properly/fully)

• वाराणसीवासफलम्: the fruit of dwelling in Varanasi
• वाराणसीवासफलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाराणसी + वास + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (वाराणस्यां वासस्य फलम्)

• लभ्येत: would be obtained
• लभ्येत: Kriya (Result/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• कुम्भज: O Kumbhaja (Agastya)
• कुम्भज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुम्भज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) via Viśālākṣī vrata completion

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya (Kumbhaja)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: After morning rites, the devotee performs pāraṇa: a clean meal shared with sons and attendants; in the background, Kāśī’s ghāṭas and temple spires signal that disciplined living in the kṣetra culminates in fulfilled merit.

Characters & Entities

• Vārāṇasī
• Agastya (Kumbhaja)
• Pāraṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual observance bears fruit when completed correctly; the sanctity of Kāśī is realized through disciplined practice and proper conclusion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vārāṇasī/Kāśī itself is praised through the phrase ‘the fruit of dwelling in Vārāṇasī’.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform pāraṇa (ending the fast with the prescribed meal) afterward, in a proper manner, along with one’s household/retinue.